The DC Lineup for Thanksgiving weekend: Holiday edition with all the trimmings

This weekend, Nov. 23 to 25, is full of ways to step into the holiday season. Celebrate the joy and warmth of this time of year, whether you’re shopping at DC’s nationally renowned downtown seasonal market, enjoying a Christmas tree lighting ceremony, watching a model train roar past botanical re-creations of iconic American rail stations, or taking part in any of the other post-Thanksgiving activities in DC this weekend.

The weather report calls for rain on Saturday and mostly sunny conditions on Sunday with temperatures in the 40s and 50s. Friday afternoon will be sunny, with temperatures expected to stay in the 30s.

1. Gardens: This is the first weekend to see Season’s Greenings: All Aboard at the U.S. Botanic Garden. The annual holiday event kicked off on Thanksgiving Day and continues through New Year’s Day. Models of train stations from across the United States will be showcased, including the iconic Grand Central Terminal in New York City and Union Station in St. Louis. Alongside the train tracks, view the sister exhibit, Season’s Greenings: Pollination Station. Throughout the Conservatory, thousands of flowers will be displayed along with a collection of botanical versions of DC landmarks, such as a replica of our own Union Station made from plant materials. The U.S. Botanic Garden is located at 100 Maryland Ave. SW.

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   Ward 6 Neighborhoods: In conjunction with Small Business Saturday, Shaw Main Streets will host ribbon-cutting ceremonies with DC Council members Kenyan McDuffie, Charles Allen and Anita Bond to celebrate the opening of 10 neighborhood businesses in recent months. Events will kick off at 10:10 a.m. at Courtyard by Marriott at 901 L St. NW. and proceed to other businesses such as Green Almond Pantry, Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. and Nicecream over the next hour. Later in the day, “free Shaw swag” such as T-shirts, refrigerator magnets and reusable shopping bags will be available from noon to 3 p.m. (or while supplies last) at Grand Cata Latin Wine Shop, 1550 7th St. NW. (Other outdoor activities that had been planned — including a Gingerbread House Challenge and the City Market at O Family Festival — have been canceled due to a forecast for inclement weather.)

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   Festive Lights: Celebrate the warmth of the season with holiday tree lighting ceremonies this weekend at the Park at CityCenter and at Eastern Market. Taking place on Saturday from 6 to 7 p.m. at 10th Street and New York Avenue NW, the CityCenterDC event will include a 75-foot tree, two 25-foot reindeer, festive decor, balloon artists, face painting, holiday activities, a musical performance by the Washington Chorus and a countdown to the lighting ceremony led by NBC4’s Eun Yang. On Sunday at 5 p.m., the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District will light up a 20-foot evergreen that was planted in the Eastern Market Metro Plaza’s northeast quadrant in 2007. It’s since earned the nickname “Big George” in honor of the late George Didden III, a community leader and president and chief executive of National Capital Bank. His wife, Kathy Didden, will return to switch on the lights for the 12th time as the neighborhood comes together for caroling, hot chocolate and other festive traditions. (The Capitol Hill event was originally scheduled for Saturday, but organizers rescheduled it due to the likelihood of unfavorable weather conditions.)

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   Ward 2 Neighborhoods: Step out to the 14th annual Downtown Holiday Market this weekend near 8th and F streets NW. The market opens this Friday and runs daily until Dec. 23 from noon to 8 p.m. along the sidewalk in front of the Smithsonian American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. Last year, MSN listed the marketplace as its third pick for “most enchanting” holiday market in the United States, and Travel Magazine ranked it among the 20 Best Christmas Markets in the United States. Over 150 local vendors sell a wide range of gifts, such as jewelry, pottery, paintings and textiles. Shoppers also enjoy seasonal treats and entertainment.

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   Festive Lights: ZooLights — a favorite holiday tradition for many area residents — begins Friday at the National Zoo and will run from 5 to 9 p.m. daily until Jan. 1 except for Dec. 24, 25 and 31. Over 500,000 eco-friendly LED lights and two laser light shows accompanied by music are all powered by Pepco. Nightly rides on the Zoo Choo-Choo and the three-day GRUMP Holiday Market (Dec. 7, 8 and 9) are showcased once again; new offerings this year include a Gingerbread Village, Reindeer Games Fun Zone and Symphony of Lights. The annual ZooLights event also includes live performances, holiday treats and shopping — and it’s free to the public the entire season.

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   Museums: This is the first weekend to visit Festive Fabergé at Hillwood, with Christmas trees and holiday decor transforming the mansion, visitor center and estate. This year’s seasonal displays tie into the museum’s current exhibit, Fabergé Rediscovered, which features the Hillwood’s grand collection of Fabergé imperial Easter eggs through Jan. 13. In the entry hall, for example, “a tree of live flowers and glittering gold” evokes the diamonds and pink tones of the Catherine the Great Egg. Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens is located at 4155 Linnean Ave. NW in Forest Hills and is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day except for Monday.

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   Shopping: “Shop small” during Small Business Saturday to support some of the local businesses that have joined the annual program. Explore the many participating neighborhoods in the District and special events like the free urban art and craft market hosted by District Rebel on Saturday at Dock 5 in Union Market from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Small Business Saturday is backed throughout the country by American Express and its Shop Small Movement, which includes a Shop Small Studio with free promotional materials for participating businesses. So act local, then connect with those supporting their communities throughout the country on social media using #ShopSmall.

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   Literature: MahoganyBooks in Ward 8’s Anacostia neighborhood will mark its first anniversary with a free event with award-winning author Jason Reynolds from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday as part of its Shop Small celebration. Reynolds, a DC native, will be promoting and signing copies of Lu, the fourth book in his New York Times best-selling Track series of stories for ages 10 and older about kids from various backgrounds who are selected for an elite track team. Reservations are suggested via the store’s website. The event — which will include some free giveaways — is a part of Indies First, a national campaign by the American Booksellers Association to encourage shoppers to patronize independent book shops on Small Business Saturday. American Express partnered with the American Booksellers Association and Simon & Schuster (Reynolds’ publisher) to give out 20,000 special-edition copies of Ghost, another book in the Track series, to select bookstores. The shops will then pass the books on to kids in underprivileged areas as part of a program #IndiesGiveBack. MahoganyBooks, 1231 Good Hope Road SE, will also have other special events and holiday savings for Black Friday as well as Small Business Saturday.

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   Ward 3 Neighborhoods: Catch a Holiday Pop-Up Shop in Van Ness this Saturday and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., along with Christmas trees from Olde City Farm & Garden on the adjacent plaza. The shop will include merchandise from 10 local vendors (including Shobha Ohal Jewelry, Feather & Guard Textiles, The Nimble Barber Woodworking and Jon Kerr Ceramics, among others) and festive activities, such as wine tasting on Saturday. Located at 4340 Connecticut Ave. NW near the Van Ness-UDC Metro station, the shop will also be open Dec. 1, 2, 8 and 9.

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    Ward 3 Neighborhoods: The seventh annual Tenley WinterFest begins this Friday and runs all week through Dec. 1. Neighborhood businesses and groups are highlighted along with events such as the Yeti Scavenger Hunt (in which attendees search for the Tenley Yeti at area shops), caroling at Fessenden Park, a storefront decor context, a historic neighborhood tour, tree sales, a labyrinth walk at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church and opportunities to get a photo taken with Santa at Ace Hardware. Also kicking off Friday, the Winter Feast restaurant week will feature 20 percent specials from 14 Tenley restaurants including the neighborhood coffee shop Coffee Nature and global fare from Tartufo, Le Chat Noir and Cafe of India. More promotions can be found on the Tenleytown Main Street app. The festive week concludes next Saturday with a Winter Market at Janney Elementary School.

This post has been updated to reflect changes to several outdoor events on Saturday due to a forecast of rain. The Capitol Hill Business Improvement District’s tree lighting has been rescheduled for Sunday, and in Shaw the gingerbread contest and family festival have been canceled, according to Shaw Main Streets.